Vegan Christmas Dinner - Old-World Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Whether you're planning a completely vegan- 7 cups water
Christmas dinner or you simply want to add some- One 6 oz. can tomato paste
meatless options to your holiday menu, these savory- 1/2 cup raisins
stuffed cabbage rolls are an excellent choice.- 6 Tbs. sugar (for richest flavor, use 3 Tbs. white
This easy-to-make recipe is simple enough for asugar and 3 Tbs. brown sugar)
beginner, but flexible enough for accomplished cooks- 2 Tbs. lemon juice
to adapt and embellish. It's budget-friendly too; the- 1 Tbs. saltMix and simmer all over low heat while
ingredients are familiar low-cost staples. And if you livepreparing filling.
in an area where vegan specialties are hard to find,Filling:
this could easily become a go-to recipe - all the- 3 Tbs. oil
ingredients are readily available in just about any- 1 medium-large onion, chopped
grocery store.- 1 garlic clove, chopped Saute onion and garlic in oil
Served on a bed of fluffy rice or next to a heapingover medium heat until limp. Remove from heat and
helping of creamy mashed potatoes, this meatlessmix in:
main dish is fancy enough for a feast but has a hearty,- 1 bag MorningStar Veggie Crumbles OR 1 1/2 lbs.
satisfying, down-home feel as well. If you don't mentionmashed firm tofu and 2 Tbs. soy sauce
the fact that it's a meatless dish, chances are no one- 1 tsp. salt
will guess! The soy crumbles or tofu provide lots of- 1 cup cooked rice Set aside.
filling protien, and raisins add a delicious depth to theBoil a large pot of water and drop in 3-4 cabbage
tangy/sweet tomato sauce.leaves at a time. Boil leaves 1-2 minutes to soften.
Note: though this is a very easy recipe, it's not a "quickDrain leaves and trim out the hard center cores. Place
cooker". The cabbage rolls simmer in the sauce for2-3 tablespoons of filling on each leaf, fold the sides in
two to three hours, absorbing the marvelous flavorsand roll up as neatly as possible. Don't worry if your
and filling your house with mouth-watering aromas.rolls are a bit torn or messy, as long as the filling's
Old-World Stuffed Cabbage Rollsreasonably contained. Carefully drop each roll in the
Have 1 cup cooked rice and 18-20 large, washedsimmering sauce. Don't stir. Simmer rolls 2-3 hours,
cabbage leaves ready.occasionally pushing them down with the flat side of a
Sauce:spatula.